Following the emission test cheating scandal and now allegations that the German automakers created a cartel to deploy their strategy to fake their emission cutting effort, the country’s industry is in a crisis.

A likely winner to come on top of this disastrous situation is the electric car segment. German automakers have been investing in the technology in an attempt to distance themselves from diesel.

In the latest example of that, Audi is reportedly trying to cut gas and diesel R&D by 10 billion euros (~12 billion USD) in order to finance its electric car development.

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Germany’s Handelsblatt and Reuters both reported on the move this weekend based on inside sources.

Audi is reportedly about to change its leadership in order to implement the new strategy:

“Sources told Reuters on Friday that four of the brand’s seven top executives are earmarked for dismissal in the near future. On Sunday, sources said the dismissals were discussed by supervisory board members last Thursday but a formal decision has yet to be taken.”

By financing electric car development, Audi aims to make them profitable. They reportedly want to maintain a 8% operating profit after the shift to EVs.

The German automaker has been spending a lot of money on its Brussels plant lately in preparation for the launch of its first few all-electric cars built from the ground up.